NSU’s Art and Design program will hold an opening reception for the 2020 Art and Design Senior Exhibition on Feb. 19 from 5-7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public featuring music and complimentary food and drinks. The exhibition will be located in Gallery 217 on the second floor of the PVA wing of the Don Taft University Center and will be open until March 12. Hours of operation will be posted on the doors of the gallery.
The Senior Showcase is a part of a senior project that students in the Art and Design program must complete as part of their curriculum. Kandy Lopez-Moreno, an associate professor of the Art and Design program, explained that the students are responsible for creating the flyers, layout, design and promotion of the event. Although the showcase is predominately for seniors in the program, it is open to students who are pursuing minors in art as well. This year, there are 10 graduating seniors who are participating in the showcase, three of whom are art minors.
The name of the exhibition this year is Vantage Point.
Ariella Erin Poon, a senior biology major who is a part of the showcase, said the showcase “shows how much we’ve evolved as artists throughout our undergraduate careers… One of the first things we did as a group was bring in our portfolios so we had an idea of what everyone’s art styles were. We decided on the title of the exhibit because [it’s] a way to connect everything… All of our art styles are different and we all focus on different perspectives.”
Gabriel Aikens, a senior art major, explained that nature was another common theme that will be displayed throughout the exhibition. The showcase will also feature a combination of works from courses and personal pieces using different art styles and mediums.
“We ended up [deciding] on Vantage Point, which is kinda dissociated from nature, but if you see in the poster it takes place in a forest-like setting. It has an organic feel to it, even though it is really Illustrator and graphic design oriented. Some of it [will be] school work and a good number of it will be personal work. That makes it feel like not everyone is doing the same thing. It shows that we are all working outside the confines of what we have to do to get a grade and are trying to build our careers beyond college,” said Aikens.
Poon also explained that the Senior Showcase is a way to demonstrate the presence of the artistic community on NSU’s campus, demonstrating to students that “it’s possible to develop themselves as artists and that there is an artistic presence at NSU.”
Photo: K. Lopez
